When their affairs at the academy were settled, Olivia, Angelica, and Leon could be seen at the capital's shipyard. Leon had invited the girls to accompany him without even explaining where they were going. However, they agreed without hesitation—at least for a while, they didn't have to return to the academy.
But when their eyes fell upon Leon's ship, both girls froze in astonishnt, their mouths slightly agape.
"Leon, is this really your ship?" Olivia suddenly asked, unable to hide her admiration. "I don't know much about ships, but this one is several tis larger than any I've ever seen before. Angie, are noble ships usually this huge?" she turned to Angelica, who also seed stunned by the sight.
Angelica slowly shook her head, as if unable to believe her own eyes.
"No, usually ships are much smaller. Especially for soone of a re viscount's rank. Even my family only has a few ships comparable in size to this one," she replied, still taking in the massive vessel before them.
"Wow... so that ans Leon really is special!" Olivia exclaid with excitent.
"In a way, yes," Angelica agreed with a slight nod.
Then, suddenly furrowing her brows, she asked:
"By the way, we didn't really question it before, but... where exactly are you taking us?"
Leon, noticing the sharp look she gave him, simply smiled and answered in a calm voice:
"To your father."
"Huh?" Angelica exhaled, stunned by his words. "You have business with my father?"
"Yep. I promised to et him once I enrolled in the academy. Besides, he might be able to help avoid getting expelled."
"W-what?!" Olivia gasped, suddenly tensing up. "Why would they want to expel you?!"
Angelica fell into thought, her gaze sharpening. After a brief pause, she spoke:
"It would be surprising if Leon didn't face punishnt for his actions..." then she turned to Olivia. "Livia, you do understand, don't you?"
"Huh? But didn't he just win a duel against the prince and his friends? They want to expel him for that?" Olivia asked in disbelief.
Angelica shook her head.
"Normally, no one would get expelled for sothing like that. Duels are considered sacred, after all. The problem is who Leon fought. His opponents were the prince and his closest friends—all of them high-ranking nobles. Not only did he defeat them, but he also insulted each and every one of them and even injured so. He humiliated entire noble factions in front of everyone. Many influential families will demand his punishnt, especially those who see him as a threat."
Olivia, as if finally grasping the full weight of the situation, nodded and muttered thoughtfully:
"So... it's fair to say that this is entirely Leon's fault?"
Angelica sighed and confird:
"Yes. He's mostly to bla. Though I was the one who escalated things, he took it way too far."
"I regret nothing! If anything, I'd gladly do it all over again!" Leon declared with a smug grin.
Irritated by his response, Angelica suddenly grabbed him by the ears and yanked down hard.
"Ow-ow-ow! That hurts! Alright, alright! My bad!" Leon imdiately started pleading, twisting in pain.
"Hmph!" Angelica huffed and let go.
Rubbing his now sore ear, Leon grumbled:
"Alright, let's just get on the ship already."
The journey from the capital to the Redgrave Duchy was no short trip. Even the fastest ships took at least a couple of days to reach it.
Upon hearing this, Leon only chuckled and, with a confident smile, said:
"The fastest ship, huh? Please, step aboard a true record-breaker. This one will get us there in half a day."
Angelica's head snapped up as she stared at him in shock.
By this point, they were already inside the ship along with Olivia. As she looked around, the first thing that struck her was just how spacious the interior was—it even slled pleasant, which was rare for a ship of this kind.
But what amazed her the most was the sheer luxury of it all.
No matter where she turned, the entire space radiated the atmosphere of a true noble palace.
Olivia, being a commoner, was noticeably nervous. Her hands trembled slightly, as if she were afraid of accidentally touching sothing valuable. However, what surprised Angelica the most was sothing entirely different.
"Where is the ship's crew?" she asked, eyeing Leon with suspicion.
Ships like this—especially luxurious ones—usually required a sizable crew: engineers to maintain the engines, staff to keep everything clean, and attendants to serve the guests. But there wasn't a single soul in sight.
"Huh?" Leon simply waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. The entire ship runs automatically; it doesn't need a crew."
Angelica froze, processing his words. That could only an one thing—this was a lost artifact of unimaginable value.
"You really are a magnet for lost relics, Leon," she said with a smirk, shaking her head.
At that mont, they reached one of the ship's lavish rooms, which resembled a grand lounge. The spacious area was furnished with elegant, high-quality furniture, and the plush chairs looked so soft that they practically invited one to sink into them.
Leon gestured for them to sit, then, with the ease of a seasoned host, prepared tea and served an assortnt of treats.
With a satisfied smile, he looked at them, then placed a deck of cards on the table in front of him.
"How about passing the ti while we wait?" he said cheerfully, pulling a deck of Uno cards from his pocket.
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